Alice Minnick

Madison - Alice Minnick was born on July 15, 1926 in Rio, Wisconsin to Clarence and Clara (Krier) Nordness. Growing up, she was afraid of the chickens as she gathered the eggs but she loved to go horseback riding. She played the tenor saxophone for the Rio High School marching band and after graduating, she moved to Madison. She died on January 17, 2012 after a long battle with Alzheimer's. She was 85.

In September of 1944 she met Gerald William (Bill) Minnick and after a whirlwind courtship, they were married on June 28, 1945. They were soul mates, best friends and always together their entire married life. After Bill was honorable discharged from his military service, he and Alice returned to Madison. Alice and Bill and later their son and daughter-in-law ran Minnick's Top Hat Restaurant for 35 years from 1953 to 1988. Alice was elected as President of the Madison Chapter of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association in 1975, 1976 and 1977. Bill and Alice were named "Restaurateurs of the Year" in 1976. Both Bill and Alice were very civic-minded. The Top Hat donated food to Meals on Wheels and food pantries. They also made donations to the Middleton Senior Citizen Center.

Alice had an effervescent personality; she never met a stranger and liked everyone and enjoyed many friends. However, she was happiest spending time with her husband and children. She made every family function including "game night" a celebration. She loved to entertain and was famous for her holiday party every December. She also enjoyed dancing (she made her husband take dancing lessons not once but twice), reading, and gardening. She shared her husband's love of flying and they visited many Midwestern sites by flying to see them. They were avid walkers, walking 8 to 15 miles a day.

Alice is survived by her daughter Saundra Schroud of Madison; her son Gerald W. Minnick II of Middleton; her daughter-in-law Maureen of Middleton; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband; her mother and father; two sisters- Marcella Edwards and Dorothy Hendricks and an infant brother.

The family wants to give a special "Thank You" to Badger Prairie Nursing Home staff for their wonderful care of Alice as she fought her battle against Alzheimer's.